An NDP government would hire more teachers, librarians, teaching assistants and counsellors to improve learning conditions in public schools, leader Adrian Dix said today.
Dix rolled out his party’s education platform in Courtenay on the home turf of Education Minister and Comox Valley MLA Don McRae.
Dix blamed years of Liberal cuts for overcrowded classrooms and gaps in support for aboriginal students, students with special needs, and students that speak English as second language.
The NDP pledges to spend $75 million more this year on public education and increase that amount to $100 million by 2015-16.
Read more election coverage HERE
McRae, a former teacher, disputed the NDP allegations. He said the Liberal government has made substantial investments in education despite declining enrollment.
The government’s learning improvement fund hired 500 new teachers, 400 new aides and increased the hours of 7,800 other aides this year, McRae said.
“In regards to the NDP, if they’re going to make investments in education or any other area, how are they going to pay for it?” he said.
“We make investments in health care, education and other key sectors because we’re growing the economy, not because we’re taxing individuals to pay for it.”
The NDP has said it will pay for its election promises with a fiscal plan that increases taxes on banks, corporations and high-income earners, while scrapping several recently announced Liberal programs, such as the B.C. Training and Education Savings Program.
Dix also promised Thursday to invest an additional $10 million this year to add licensed child care spaces for infants and toddlers and cut fees by 20 per cent.
He said families with children in licensed care will save $2,000 on average.
In addition, Dix said the NDP would use the money from the Liberals’ “poorly conceived” education savings program to set up an Early Years Innovation Fund.
The NDP says its education platform would cost $87 million this year and rise to $163 million by 2015-16.
